A lot has changed since Green Alliance was founded 35 years ago. Most of the people who partied with us at our celebration last night were still at school, and some hadn’t been born. So let’s just remind ourselves: in 1979 we had one lumbering energy giant – the Central Electricity Generating Board– providing electricity to all of our homes and offices, the majority of which was generated by coal. Read more
This post first appeared on The Guardian’s Environment blog.
After years of economic uncertainty and falling living standards the 2015 election will have a defensive feel to it. The electorate will want reassurance, not big change. Whoever ends up in government will be pursuing small ‘c’ conservative ends: stability and security.
The 2010 general election was not a cautious one. The banking crisis required national renewal and David Cameron, in optimistic mode, issued a manifesto invitation for the public to ‘join the government of Britain’. All three parties promised ‘revolutions’ in green technology.
Some Conservative commentators have argued that the vote blue/go green period of David Cameron’s leadership was unconsidered advertising, not built on any foundation of conservative philosophy. But a review of recent conservative writing on green issues suggests otherwise. The writers are building upon the ideals of Burke and the actions of Thatcher. After a period of relative quiet after the 2010 election, we are now seeing a new wave of green conservative thinking, which suggests the environment remains close to the heart of many conservatives. Here’s a roundup of ten the best from 2007 to now: Read more
At the end of March Green Alliance held its annual debate on a question we’ve talked about a lot on this blog: does government need to do more than nudge us towards sustainable living? The answer from panellists was a resounding yes, but they disagreed quite strongly on whether government is on track to do this. Read more
